The Golden State Warriors may be in trouble. Not the bad kind, but the kind that may cause confusion, not just for opponents but themselves as well.
For the last 2 years it’s been a no-brainer who takes the clutch shot. Stephen Curry is by far one of the game’s greatest shooters but even himself has been known to take unwarranted shots. Maybe it’s been to early in the shot clock or too many people in his face but Curry has been the go-to guy for the team.
Enter Kevin Durant.
He has been THAT guy all his career and has earned the right to be that guy for the Warriors. No, he does not own a championship ring but he owns the distinction of clutch. Not all clutch players will come through every game but I will put my money on Durant over 95 percent of the guys in the NBA.
But the bigger question is. Will Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green be willing to let a newbie take that role?
This is where Steve Kerr will be tested.
Let’s say the Warriors are down one with 10 seconds left on the clock. The ball is inbounded to Green who sees Thompson, Curry and Durant semi guarded. What does he do? Does he taken it upon himself to try to drive to the basket, pull up for a perimeter shot or pass it off to a better shooting teammate?
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Percentages go out the window at this point because every situation is different. Curry could be 80 percent with two seconds on the clock but depending on the team and defense it could go either way. Thompson is a streaky shooter and depending on how hot he is, he could be an option. But Durant is a different breed of player.
More than likely he’ll be guarded by a player that cannot keep up with him on the wings. If Kerr were smart this is why he would have switched to a small ball lineup with Green at Center and Durant at the 4. With that mismatch, Durant would be able to drive around the likes of Blake Griffin, Paul Millsap and either get to the rim or pull up for one of his signature jump shots.
It may take a while for the particulars to work themselves out but Durant is the logical choice.